MEGADETH recently resumed work on its fourteenth studio album with producer Johnny K (full name: John Karkazis), who has previously worked with DISTURBED, SEVENDUST, MACHINE HEAD and STAIND. The CD is currently being recorded at MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine's Vic's Garage studio in San Marcos, California for a late spring release via an as-yet-undisclosed label following the band's recent split with Roadrunner Records.

In a tweet earlier today, Mustaine wrote: "[I] played guitar, sang, and did minor adjustments yesterday to songs one-four. Mixing has begun and you'll have something soon to hear! I'm so pumped!!"

Speaking to Full Metal Jackie at last month's NAMM (National Association Of Music Merchants) show in Anaheim, California, Mustaine stated about the direction of the band's new material: "[MEGADETH bassist] David Ellefson is one of those guys that's kind of the barometer of the band. You ask me, you never really know what you're gonna get, but when you ask David Ellefson, it's kind of like reading the ingredients on the back of something, 'cause he's such a straight shooter. He told some people the other day that this is music that's really similar to [MEGADETH's 1985 debut album] 'Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!', some of the stuff — really dark, really heavy and fast stuff. I mean, I don't thnk it's really as fast and heavy as 'Killing' is, to me, but Junior is a great, like I said, barometer — bad word, but he knows what's going on."

On the topic of MEGADETH's current label situation, Mustaine said: "We have a new label. We left Roadrunner; we completed our contract with them, which not a lot of many metal bands have the luxury to have been able to complete contracts. They usually either break up or quit or give up and stuff like that, but we were honorable and finished our contract with them and we moved on. And we've actually got a fantastic relationship with a brand new label that we're gonna be telling everybody about real soon. We have eleven songs already recorded. We wanna give them thirteen, 'cause, you know, the B-sides and Japanese releases and all that kind of crazy stuff."

In a January 24 post on his Facebook page, Ellefson wrote about the recording process for MEGADETH's new album: "Having a great week here at Vic's Garage laying down bass on the new songs. Really some great, great songs taking shape at this point in the recording process. I told Dave [Mustaine] today that one of them totally reminded me of the earliest stuff back when we first met. Fast, ripppin' and fully bringing the REAL old-school MEGADETH sound!!!"

Johnny K produced MEGADETH's last album, 2011's "TH1RT3EN", which was also recorded at Vic's Garage.

THE STICK PEOPLE, comprised of Mike Stone on vocals/guitars, Stephen Duffy on lead vocals/guitars, M. d'Zuir on bass, Bernie Godwin on lead guitar, and Frankie Anthony on drums, will release its debut album, "Madness", on April 23 via EFM Records/Bungalo/Universal Music Group. The CD was produced by Dito Godwin (KISS, MÖTLEY CRÜE).

While mixing elements of old school punk with alternative and a touch of pop, "Madness" delivers a rock and roll package that strikes a chord at first listen with its infectious riffs and explosive melodies, thirteen fist-pumping songs custom made for driving around with the stereo turned up and the windows rolled down.

There's a reason why THE STICK PEOPLE are so adept at touching upon a variety of styles - its members are rock music veterans, having learned their skills playing with quite a few renowned names.

Case in point, guitarist/vocalist Mike Stone has played with QUEENSRŸCHE, KLOVER, Bret Michaels and Peter Criss, and guitarist Bernie Godwin has credits that include a track on the "My Name Is Bruce" soundtrack with Bruce Campbell.

THE STICK PEOPLE formed in 2008, signed a deal in 2009 but due to industry holdups has been biding time, writing and recording what eventually became its first CD. The quintet is making plans to hit the road with reckless abandon and tour throughout 2013.

"Madness" track listing:

01. Open Up
02. Waiting
03. Madness
04. I Am the Rain
05. Bulletproof
06. Think About That
07. My Everything
08. The Box
09. Hello, Goodbye
10. Flip
11. Matter of Time
12. Trust
13. Misery's Angel

The first song to infiltrate the airwaves will be the forceful punk rock assault on your senses, "Think About That". Check it out using the audio player below (courtesy of AOL's Noisecreep).

Video footage of original ANTHRAX and current DEATHRIDERS singer Neil Turbin and guitarist Dave Reffett performing the GARY MOORE classic "Still Got The Blues" on January 25 at the Eminence Speakers booth at this year's NAMM (National Association Of Music Merchants) show in Anaheim, California can be seen below.

The only ANTHRAX record to feature Turbin and bassist Danny Lilker — in addition to Scott Ian (rhythm guitar), Charlie Benante (drums), and Dan Spitz (lead guitar) — the band's debut album, "Fistful of Metal", was originally released in January 1984, spawning such early classics as "Deathrider" and "Metal Thrashing Mad".

DEATHRIDERS is currently recording its full-length debut, "The Metal Beast Is Alive", in Los Angeles.

Former MISFITS frontman Michale Graves will release his new album, "Vagabond" on February 26. The CD is being distributed through BFM Digital and will be available for digital download at over 250 online locations, including Amazon and iTunes. You can also pre- order the actual CD at Hydraulic Entertainment.

Graves utilized the Kickstarter project platform to create funding for the new CD project, which features never-before-released songs that display Michale's unique folk/pop sensibility.

Commented Graves: "I have been a performer for 17 years and have had the chance to travel the world and experience so many incredible people along the way. I live for performing and have been on tour so much that I haven't had the ability to record a new album in over four years. Working in conjunction with Kickstarter, I now have the ability to access those who mean the most — my fans — and create something unique for them."

"Vagabond" will include the following tracks:

* Revolution By Candlelight
* Hold On To Yesterday
* Ode To Heath
* All The Hallways
* Oh, Please Why
* Best Of Me
* I Can Fell Heaven
* Break Me Out
* Chasing After The Wind
* Vagabond
* The City
* Train To The End Of The World

The "Vagabond" tour will kick off on March 22 at the historic Stanhope House in Stanhope, New Jersey and will include "53 locations throughout the U.S."

In addition to his production relationship with Hydraulic Entertainment, Graves is the head of the company's music group.

According to People.com, former "American Idol" judge Steven Tyler made a surprise cameo on the show Thursday night (January 31) — dressed as a woman. "Calling himself Pepper LaBeija after the famous drag queen featured in the 1990 documentary 'Paris Is Burning', Tyler wore a blonde wig, snakeskin miniskirt and fake breasts that honked when squeezed," reads a report on the site.

Check out video footage of Tyler's appearance below.

Tyler announced his departure from "Idol" in July 2012 after serving as a judge for two seasons on the hit Fox program. The AEROSMITH frontman explained that he wanted to refocus on his music career.

Although he seemed to enjoy his two-year stint on "American Idol", Tyler admitted that the show was actually "not my cup of tea." He said he only signed up for the show because he was feuding with his AEROSMITH bandmates and it was "something to do while the storm blew by."

He explained to Rolling Stone, "I loved it and hated it. It was a great job, I sat next to J. Lo and I made a ton of money. It was a moment in life and it became larger than life."

However — he said he didn't like the pressure he felt to be mean to the contestants. He explained, "The show's about kids and what you do to nurture their talent. They wanted me to take the piss out of the kids and I don't have that in me. That's not what I'm about. That's more about that other guy. Not me."

"Cry For Love", the new video from VOODOO CIRCLE, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's third album, "More Than One Way Home", which will be released on February 22 via AFM Records.

"More Than One Way Home" track listing:

01. Graveyard City
02. Tears In The Rain
03. Heart Of Babylon
04. Cry For Love
05. Alissa
06. The Ghost In Your Heart
07. Bane Of My Existence
08. More Than One Way Home
09. The Killer In You
10. The Saint And The Sinner
11. Victim Of Love
12. Open Your Eyes

The cover artwork for "More Than One Way Home" can be seen below.

VOODOO CIRCLE is the German/British band featuring members of PRIMAL FEAR and PINK CREAM 69.

VOODOO CIRCLE's sophomore CD, "Broken Heart Syndrome", entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 64. The effort was once again mixed and mastered by Dennis Ward (PINK CREAM 69, KROKUS), and was described in a press release as "a huge step forward and shows the band's boundless musical possibilities."

Alex is well known throughout the rock and metal scene as the mastermind of SILENT FORCE, former guitarist of SINNER and touring guitarist of PRIMAL FEAR. His exceptional compositions and instrumental skills secured him highest respect from other musicians and a strong worldwide fan base. In Japan, where quality is still the most important aspect when it comes to music, he is hailed as a "guitar hero" and fills the venues.

According to a press release, "Alex chose to walk in huge footsteps with VOODOO CIRCLE, because the immense impact and influence that bands like RAINBOW and DEEP PURPLE had are undeniable. But if there is just one German musician who can fill this big boots and arouse with new energy, we definitely talk about Alex Beyrodt."

VOODOO CIRCLE is:

Alex Beyrodt (PRIMAL FEAR, SILENT FORCE, SINNER) - Guitar
David Readman (PINK CREAM 69) - Vocals
Mat Sinner (SINNER, PRIMAL FEAR) - Bass
Markus Kullmann (DEZPERADOZ) - Drums
Zlatko "Jimmy" Kresic (LIQUID HOME) - Keyboards

VOODOO CIRCLE's self-titled debut album was released in 2008.

German epic pagan metallers WOLFCHANT will release their new album, "Embraced By Fire", on March 1 via NoiseArt Records. According to the band, the follow-up to 2011's "Call Of The Black Winds" is "the most elaborate and detailed album in our band history so far! We've made sure to create catchy and interesting song structures and to deploy a multifarious instrumentation. Andre Hofmann of Forte Fortissimo studio supplied a very forceful and clear sound, which fits perfectly to the new songs."

"Embraced By Fire" track listing:

01. Devouring Flames
02. Embraced By Fire
03. Element
04. Turning Into Red
05. Einsame Wacht
06. Autumns Breath
07. Freier Geist
08. Winters Triumph

The "Embraced By Fire" title track can now be streamed using the SoundCloud player below.

WOLFCHANT was recently featured in the Cartoon Network's "Aqua Something You Know Whatever". Three members of the band appear in the episode called "Totem Pole" as the band TOTEM POLE performing the song "Polegasm". Check out snippets at this location.

"Aqua Something You Know Whatever" began its long run on Adult Swim under the title "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" for its first seven seasons, then was renamed "Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1" for a season before the creators decided to change the title again.

WOLFCHANT will take part in the Paganfest Europe tour alongside ALESTORM, ARKONA, EX DEO, THYRFING and BORNHOLM.

STONE SOUR will release "House Of Gold & Bones - Part 2", the second part of their two-album series, "House of Gold & Bones", on April 9 via Roadrunner Records. The albums were recorded at Sound Farm Studios just outside of the band's native Des Moines, Iowa with producer David Bottrill (TOOL, MUSE) at the helm.

The first single from "House Of Gold & Bones - Part 2", "Do Me A Favor", will be available digitally on February 12; the video for "Do Me A Favor" will be directed by Phil Mucci, whose video for HIGH ON FIRE's "Fertile Green" was named best video of 2012 by Revolver. Singer Corey Taylor gave The Pulse Of Radio a preview of what to expect from the song. "It's quite aggressive, and actually the label asked me if I would go in and tame stuff down and I was like, 'No.' I'm not doing that," he said. "This is going out the way it is and I'm not gonna touch it up. I'm not gonna have people looking for a song that doesn't exist. This is the way it is on the album, that's the way it's going to be when we put it out to radio."

"House Of Gold & Bones - Part 2" track listing:

01. Red City
02. Black John
03. Sadist
04. Peckinpah
05. Stalemate
06. Gravesend
07. '82
08. The Uncanny Valley
09. Blue Smoke
10. Do Me A Favor
11. The Conflagration
12. The House Of Gold & Bones

When asked by ThisIsNotAScene what fans can expect from the second part of "House Of Gold & Bones", Taylor said: "Part 2 is much darker [than the first part], if I'm honest. Aside from it being a completely different album, it feels more like a soundtrack to a movie in a lot of ways, man. It's really thematic. There are themes from part 1 that reveal themselves and that come again, musically. There's actually stuff from part 2 that you'll hear that's on part 1 and you'll be like, 'Fucking hell!'"

He continued: "We essentially recorded these, and this is where technology is now, so you could have these in a playlist on your iTunes and play them top to fucking bottom and really get that experience while you read both parts. So it's some of our darkest music, our most intricate and complex music, some of the best fucking lyrics I've ever written, to be honest. Even writing from a narrative like that, it was so challenging. Plus, it's got some of our best songs on it.

"You guys think part one's good? Fuck off. 'Do Me A Favor' alone is going to kick the shit out of people and that's going to be the first single, which comes out in January, that's going to be the first taste that people get of part 2, and people aren't going to know what to do."

"House Of Gold & Bones - Part 1" came out last fall.

Music is just one of the mediums used to tell the "House of Gold & Bones" story, and Taylor recently revealed details of the new project with Dark Horse Comics of the same name, which follows, and expands on, the story contained within the albums. With stunning covers from Jason Shawn Alexander (Empty Zone, Batman, Abe Sapien), this four-issue limited series marks Taylor's debut in the comics genre. The first issue of the series will be out on April 17.

STONE SOUR is on tour in North America through February 17, and will return in March for the Road To The Golden Gods tour, which will run through May 2.

Taylor recently told Billboard.com recently that the group is planning a world tour in 2014 during which they will spend two nights in each city and perform both halves of its "House Of Gold & Bones" double album in their entirety.

"Live At Luna Park", DREAM THEATER's live concert captured on 2DVD, Blu-ray, Digital Video, 2DVD/3CD, Blu-ray/3CD, and a deluxe edition (2DVD/Blu-ray/3CD), will drop in May via Eagle Rock Entertainment.

"Live At Luna Park" was filmed over two nights in South America — home to one of DREAM THEATER's most ardent fanbases. The DVD was filmed August 19 and August 20, 2012 at Estadio Luna Park in Buenos Aires, Argentina after a 15-month world tour, hitting 35 countries.

"This is, without a doubt, the closest a viewer at home will come to experiencing a live DREAM THEATER concert," states guitarist and founding member John Petrucci. "Between the hi-def and 3D video, the huge audio mix and the documentary-style behind-the-scenes footage, you are truly transported to the arena and completely immersed in the entire live experience."

"We have the greatest fans on the planet and the people of Argentina are no exception!" adds Petrucci. "The energy and vibe at Luna Park was truly electric and contagious. The perfect synergy between band and audience. We are immensely proud of this DVD and incredibly excited to share it with everyone!"

A trailer for the set can be seen below.

The setlists for the two concerts were as follows:

August 19, 2012

01. Bridges In The Sky
02. 6:00
03. The Dark Eternal Night
04. This Is The Life
05. The Root Of All Evil
06. Lost Not Forgotten
07. Drum Solo
08. A Fortune In Lies
09. The Silent Man (with a string quartet)
10. Beneath The Surface (with a string quartet)
11. Outcry
12. Surrounded (preceded by Jordan Rudess' keyboard solo)
13. On The Backs Of Angels
14. War Inside My Head
15. The Test That Stumped Them All
16. The Spirit Carries On (preceded by John Petrucci's guitar solo)
17. Breaking All Illusions

Encore:

18. Metropolis Pt. 1: The Miracle And The Sleeper

August 20, 2012

01. Bridges In The Sky
02. These Walls
03. Build Me Up, Break Me Down
04. This Is The Life
05. Caught In A Web
06. Lost Not Forgotten
07. Drum Solo
08. A Fortune In Lies
09. Wait For Sleep (with a string quartet)
10. Far From Heaven (with a string quartet)
11. Outcry
12. Surrounded (preceded by Jordan Rudess' keyboard solo)
13. On The Backs Of Angels
14. War Inside My Head
15. The Test That Stumped Them All
16. The Spirit Carries On (preceded by John Petrucci's guitar solo)
17. Breaking All Illusions

Encore:

18. Pull Me Under

Roadrunner Records e-mailed guitarist John Petrucci and keyboardist Jordan Rudess to get their thoughts on these special shows.

Roadrunner Records: You played four songs with a string quartet over the two nights. Who did the arrangements?

Jordan Rudess: All the string parts were written by Eren Basbug, the young and talented Turkish musician that I discovered online through his beautiful orchestrations of DREAM THEATER's music and then his great work orchestrating and conducting the premiere of my own composition, "Explorations For Keyboard And Orchestra". For two of the songs we did live with the quartet ("Beneath The Surface" and "Far From Heaven") I had originally arranged and recorded quartet-like string parts from my keyboard, and that is what you hear on "A Dramatic Turn Of Events". Eren was able to take those two songs and really make sure what I wrote worked for real players, as well as add some nice touches! For the other two songs, "The Silent Man" and "Wait For Sleep", he created original quartet arrangements.

Roadrunner Records: How much rehearsal time did you have with the quartet?

John Petrucci: We played through each song with them a couple of times at soundcheck. We probably spent about an hour in total making sure they were comfortable and that they knew certain cues, etc.

Jordan Rudess: We had one rehearsal before the first show. I had sent all the music to coordinator Luis Gorelik (who is a well known conductor in South America) and he helped organize the players.

Roadrunner Records: How did their presence alter the way you guys in the band played those songs? Obviously they weren't just sawing away in the background; they were integral to the music, so…in what ways?

John Petrucci: Honestly, we played the songs just as we have been and they followed us. On "Beneath The Surface" and "Far From Heaven", they basically played the arrangements that are on the album. Original arrangements were created for "The Silent Man" and "Wait For Sleep".

Jordan Rudess: In our rehearsal, I was literally conducting them and we all worked quickly to get things into shape and make sure the players really understood the music and what was going to happen in the chain of events on stage. The good thing was that these four songs all really are totally suitable for real strings, so it was an easy conceptual/musical addition to our presentation.

Roadrunner Records: Other than the new album (which was played almost in its entirety each night), the albums you played the most material from were "Images And Words", "Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence" and "Awake". Why those albums, from your perspective?

John Petrucci: We try to create a show that has a certain curve to it. The way that it begins, unfolds and concludes are all carefully thought about. We have so much material at this point that it's difficult to fit in songs from each album. Based on what we played on past tours as well as the flow and arc of the show, we thought these were the strongest choices.

Jordan Rudess: There are so many factors that are in play to create a setlist. Generally, we all felt that we offered a night of music that was a well-balanced mixture of our material that not only spanned a lot of our albums but also flowed really well for the course of the evening.

Roadrunner Records: On the second night, you guys played "Pull Me Under" as the encore, which you've been playing a lot more on tour this year than in the past few years… but only outside the U.S. Is that a song foreign audiences want to hear more than fans at home?

John Petrucci: "Pull Me Under" always goes over, no matter what country we are in. It just has that kind of power and familiarity, I guess. We really thought that it sounded great with [new drummer] Mike Mangini playing it and wanted to share that with our listeners.

Jordan Rudess: I don't know — but I will tell you that they literally were trying to rush the stage in Buenos Aires when we played it. It was nuts!

British hard rock legends DEEP PURPLE will release their 19th studio album via earMUSIC, the Hamburg, Germany-based international rock label which is part of Edel Group, on the following dates:

Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Finland, Spain: April 26
UK, France, Benelux, Poland, Czech Republic, Norway, Denmark: April 29
North America, Italy: April 30
Sweden: May 1

A new interview snippet in which the bandmembers talk about the new tracks can be seen below.

After various songwriting sessions in Europe, the band recorded and mixed the album in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Bob Ezrin (KISS, PINK FLOYD, PETER GABRIEL, ALICE COOPER, KANSAS). The CD is expected to contain 13 tracks, including "Out Of Hand", "Hell To Pay", "Weirdistan", "Uncommon Man" and "Above And Beyond". The latter song references the band's late keyboard player, Jon Lord, in the lyric "Souls having touched are forever entwined."

According to earMUSIC, the CD is "rumored to be the perfect match from the original spirit of '70s PURPLE, and a fresh and modern production."

Regarding the album title, Gillan offered the following cryptic comment to Classic Rock: "There's a big question mark over the name at the moment. And possibly an exclamation mark as well. You can read what you like into what I've just said. All will become clear — as mud — later on. That's all I'm allowed to say. The question mark and the exclamation mark might get you intrigued."

earMUSIC will reveal details about the new DEEP PURPLE album in real time as soon as they will become available on a dedicated web site where all band members will also be able to post and interact with the fans: www.deeppurple2013.com.

DEEP PURPLE's 18th studio album, "Rapture of the Deep", was released in November 2005. It was the fourth studio CD from DEEP PURPLE since guitarist Steve Morse joined the band in 1994. It was also the second album to feature veteran keyboardist Don Airey.

"Rapture of the Deep" was produced by Mike Bradford, who also worked on the band's previous release, 2003's "Bananas".

U.K. progressive metallers TESSERACT have "just turned in a 51-minute song as their next album," according to a new tweet from the band's record label, Century Media Records.

ThrashHits.com recently spoke to TESSERACT bassist Amos Williams about the group's forthcoming CD, which is due later this year. The effort, which is rumored to be titled "Altered State", will mark the band's first release with new lead singer, Ashe O'Hara, following the departure of American vocalist Elliot Coleman (OMNOM, SKY EATS AIRPLANE, ZELLIACK) in June 2012.

"The new album has shaped up to be something of an evolution for TESSERACT," Williams said. "Obviously, there's the new voice, which is exciting for us to work with. Ashe brings such an intense level of emotion to the table, it feels as if we have added another dimension to the music. We've also travelled so much and met so many incredible and inspiring musicians since the first album. This has had a huge impact upon our songwriting."

He continued: "Also, we now enjoy playing with dynamics and instrumentation. This came from releasing an acoustic EP last year. We're no longer afraid to mix things up or stray from the expected path, which we feel we did with our first album. That was in the box, whilst this album is way out there for us. Don't be afraid, though — whilst it has evolved, our music is still somehow TESSERACT. It's like there is something just beneath the surface of everything we do, that shapes all we produce into a distinctly TESSERACT-ish form."

"Nocturne", a brand new song from TESSERACT, can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below.

Comments the band: "'Nocturne', is one of the most uplifting and exciting pieces of music we have created. It faithfully continues down the same vein of groovy and euphoric progressive soundscapes that we're known for. Whilst at the same time allowing for the musical evolution that is essential for any band that has a lineup change."

Hailing from Northampton, Ashe spent his early years singing in many different groups, from choirs to musical theatre, and has more recently been involved with a number of ambient/alternative metal projects in addition to doing session work. Ashe currently resides in Hove, East Sussex.

Commented Ashe: "I have always been an admirer of their work so it's pretty awesome to be passed such a challenging flame. I am very aware of the anticipation and I am certainly feeling the weight of it, but I am equally excited for what shall be an amazing and shithot experience!"

TESSERACT recently picked up the "New Blood" award — as voted for by readers of Prog magazine — at the first-ever Progressive Music Awards in the U.K.

Norwegian adrenaline-pushers of heavy rock and roll, KVELERTAK will release their highly anticipated sophomore album entitled "Meir" (which means "more" in English) on March 26 via Roadrunner Records. The CD was produced by CONVERGE's Kurt Ballou and features cover artwork by John Dyer Baizley.

"Meir"'s first single, "Bruane Brenn" has early critical acclaim from several tastemaker outlets including Stereogum who raves, "It's a total blast of riffs, adrenaline, football chants, and guitar solos, and in its four minutes, you get five decades of rock ‘n' roll, compressed into one massive speedball hit." The single will be available on iTunes beginning February 5 and will be available as an instant download when you pre-order the album, an exclusive CD/T-shirt bundle will also be available that day at the Roadrunner Records webstore. Unlike the majority of heavier bands, they sing in their native language, adding even more character to their already unique sound.

About the signing, Dave Rath, Senior Vice President of A&R at Roadrunner Records said, "Every decade or so, hard rock and heavy metal gets a well-deserved kick in the ass. KVELERTAK is the band to do just that. These guys remind us that rock music should truly affect us. Roadrunner is proud to deliver KVELERTAK to a world waiting for a musical awakening. If this band doesn't get your heart racing, then you don't have one."

KVELERTAK's euphorically-received self-titled 2011 debut was iTunes 2011's U.S. Metal Breakthrough Artist of The Year. Pitchfork described their sound as having "monolithic walls of adrenal-gland-strangling sound" while LA Weekly named frontman Erland Hjelvik #2 on their list of top ten metal frontmen (and women) under 30.

Overseas the band has racked up numerous accolades. KVELERTAK was called "the best Norwegian debut of all time" by Norwegian rock authority Asbjørn Slettemark, named "Best Debut Album" by Metal Hammer Germany, "Best New Artist" and "Best Rock Album" at the Spellemannprisen (Norway's Grammy equivalent) and has received countless additional critical acclaim from Metal Hammer U.K. and Kerrang! who called them "the most exciting new band on the planet."

From storming 2011's SXSW festival to being personally invited by MASTODON to support them in Bergen, Norway, to Dave Grohl presenting them with their first gold discs at a sold-out show at Telenor Arena, Norway's largest indoor venue, KVELERTAK, or "chokehold" in English, are only getting started.

With the explosive first single "Bruane Brenn" to the slowed down guitar crunching of "Evig Vandrar" to the brutally chaotic "Nekrokosmos", "Meir" is an album that certainly lives up to the hype of giving the listener "more." Tight rhythms, inventive guitar hooks and melodies that seep into your consciousness, this is an album that constantly surprises.

"It is both catchy and heavy; we're pushing our limits in both ends of that spectre. It's very varied and there are a lot of surprises in store. I mean, it's unlike anything I myself have heard before, so we even managed to surprise ourselves," said lead singer Erlend Hjelvik.

Look for KVELERTAK North American tour dates to be announced soon.

KVELERTAK is Erlend Hjelvik (vocals), Vidar Landa (guitars), Bjarte Lund Rolland (guitars), Maciek Ofstad (guitars), Marvin Nygaard (bass) and Kjetil Gjermundrød (drums).

"Meir" track listing:

01. Åpenbaring
02. Spring Fra Livet
03. Trepan
04. Bruane Brenn
05. Evig Vandrar
06. Snilepisk
07. Månelyst
08. Nekrokosmos
09. Undertro
10. Tordenbrak
11. Kvelertak

Don de Leaumont of The Great Southern Brainfart recently conducted an interview with John Corabi, former lead singer of MÖTLEY CRÜE, THE SCREAM and UNION. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

The Great Southern Brainfart: Your fans have been waiting a long time for your debut solo album. Did you feel like it was a risky move making your first solo album an acoustic album?

Corabi: I know it's a bit of a risk after all these years of me talking about doing a solo record and the first one out is an acoustic record. I just wanted to do something different. I don't like doing what people would expect of me. I just really wanted to expand my horizons and think outside of the box. I want to show people that I'm not just that guy who can get out there and scream "Hooligan's Holiday" and "Smoke The Sky". I'm a songwriter and I'm more than just a screamer. My fans have been very supportive of me for 25 years but maybe I'll pick up some new fans that necessarily wouldn't be apt to buy a MÖTLEY CRÜE record, a UNION record, or even a SCREAM record.

The Great Southern Brainfart: It's really cool to hear you doing some of these SCREAM, CRÜE, and even UNION songs in this stripped down environment. It almost gives them all a new life of sorts.

Corabi: Right. When I started doing the acoustic shows, people would be yelling for "Hooligan's Holiday" and "Smoke The Sky" and I had no idea of how to pull them off. I got together with my bassist Topher and we worked out an arrangement for "Hooligan's Holiday" and it just morphed into what you hear on the record. It took a bit. It took some time to figure it out and it works. I love this new version of it.

The Great Southern Brainfart: Back in 1994, it was huge news when you were picked to replace Vince Neil in MÖTLEY CRÜE. Looking back on it, did you have a feeling you were walking into something that could potentially backfire on you?

Corabi: Well, I don't know how you can't not feel like it could blow up in your face. [laughs]

The Great Southern Brainfart: Were you a fan of MÖTLEY CRÜE at all before joining them?

Corabi: I knew a few of their songs like the ones that I'd heard on MTV or the radio. Honestly, I can't say that I was fan. I went in there not knowing if it was going to work or not. I will say that by the end of the first week that I was with them we pretty much had "Hammered" and "Misunderstood" written. The writing sessions and the demo sessions for that record were pretty unreal.

The Great Southern Brainfart: You were in MÖTLEY CRÜE for five years. When the split between you and the band came up, was it a surprise to you or did you really see it coming?

Corabi: Well, here's the deal. Vince Neil said in his book that it was my idea to leave MÖTLEY CRÜE. Just to set the record straight, Vince is only partially right about that. I just told the guys that I was so tired hearing about "Vince would do it this way…" I just told them, "I'm so fucking sick and tired of hearing about what Vince would do from you and your management." I was just sick of the guys comparing me to the guy that you told me for the last five years to not be. If you get hire for a job and your boss keeps talking about what great job the other guy did or compares you to the other guy, at some point, you just say, "Fuck you. Go back to that person then." I told them that if they wanted Vince and Vince was the fucking answer, maybe they should call him back and work shit out. If not, we should all just shut the fuck up and try and make this work.

The Great Southern Brainfart: It's too bad that they chose the later of your options.

Corabi: Man, I'll tell you what. I don't give a shit about the money. I couldn't give a fuck less. I'll always figure out how to make a fucking living. [laughs] Their money didn't mean anything to me when I joined the band and it didn't mean anything to me when I left the band. To me, everything was about what you say. I don't care if the deal is for $0.10 or for $10,000,000, a deal is still a deal. I hung out with those guys every day for five years and I haven't seen them more than five times in the last 15 years. That bothered me more than anything. I thought those guys were my friends and that's what I miss more than anything. I was more bummed out over the loss of our brotherhood than anything. Those guys are just the kind of people that will embrace you when you're in their circle. They've had some many buzzards and vultures picking at their bones for the last 25 years that when they look down and they see me calling them, I bet they immediately think, "What does he want?"

The Great Southern Brainfart: That's really sad, dude. Then it makes you feel like they never really knew you.

Corabi: Yeah. A good example is this. My son's band just recently got a record deal and the drums that he played on his album and in his bands video was the drum set that Tommy [Lee] gave him when my kid was like 12 years old. He's become friends with a bunch of guys like Brian Tichy, Eric Singer, Morgan Rose and Tommy Lee through me, so when he did his video, he was so proud of it and he wrote to all those guys and sent them the video. He wrote more of a person message to Tommy showing him that it was his old kit and thanked him for inspiring him. Every one of those guys responded to him but Tommy. At that point I just said, "I'm done." I'm not reaching out to those guys anymore. It takes me a little longer to figure things out than most but I figured that there really is no friendship there.

Read the entire interview from The Great Southern Brainfart.

Fans of the Showtime series "Californiacation" got a special surprise on this week's episode when Sebastian Bach had a guest role on the show. The former SKID ROW rocker is no stranger to acting, having appeared on the silver screen, the small screen and the Broadway stage, and he revealed to VH1 Radio Network's Dave Basner that he's got a pretty big role coming up, but wouldn't divulge too many details.

"There's a huge role coming up that I can't, I don't think that I can tell you yet, I can't tell you yet," he said. "It's something that will be very surprising to the world and it's already confirmed but I'm not allowed to announce it yet. It's a big fucking deal."

Asked if the role would involve the stage, Bach said: "I'm not really allowed to announce really what is happening but I have starred in four Broadway musicals and once you prove to the Broadway world that you can pull off four leading roles, then they kind of say, 'Okay, maybe we'll ask him to do a fifth.' (Sings Ba-ba-ba-ba!) It could involve jazz hands. [laughs]"

In a June 2012 interview with Sonic Shocks, Bach stated about whether he had ever considered being a part of a musical like "Rock Of Ages" after previously doing both "Jekyll & Hide" and "Jesus Christ Superstar": "I was the first person they asked to do Stacee Jaxx [Tom Cruise's character in the 'Rock Of Ages' movie] on Broadway. I was the very first person they asked. They wanted me to do that for years. They wanted me to do it when it was off Broadway. And they wanted me to do it when they wanted to move on Broadway. But I don't know if I want to sing other people's music every night when I have my own music. When I did 'Jekyll & Hide', that was a story. 'Jesus Christ Superstar' was a story. That's a whole different thing; that's like legitimate theater. 'Rock Of Ages' is, like… I just don't know if I could get ready every night to sing BON JOVI and POISON. I don't know if I would be in a great mood doing that when I have my own music."

Alice Cooper joined Slash (VELVET REVOLVER, ex-GUNS N' ROSES guitarist) on stage last night (Thursday, January 31) at Dubai Tennis Stadium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates to perform the legendary rocker's classic song "School's Out". Fan-filmed video footage of Alice's appearance can be seen below.

Slash previously summed up Cooper's influence this way: "Alice Cooper was the first ever to marry rock 'n' roll with dramatic horror theatrics. For 40 years he's made fantastic records and equally fantastic live performances. And still to this day he's the best at his craft bar none. Often imitated but never duplicated."

Slash made a guest appearance on Cooper's "Along Came A Spider" album, which was released in July 2008 via SPV.

New Jersey-based "mathcore" act THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN last fall entered the studio with producer Steve Evetts (EVERY TIME I DIE, POISON THE WELL, SUICIDE SILENCE, SEPULTURA) to begin recording its new album for a spring release through the group's own imprint Party Smasher Inc. via a deal with Sumerian Records.

Speaking to AOL's Noisecreep, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN vocalist Greg Puciato stated about the recording process for the band's forthcoming CD: "We're about three weeks behind! [laughs] Every time we get into the studio we think we're going to be faster. Maybe it's because we're getting older and we think that this time we have our shit together and we know the songs inside and out. And then once we get in and we start going down every little path of possible creativity you can imagine. 'Let's try this microphone.' 'Let's try this amp.' I'm like, 'I want to change these lyrics.' And then Ben [Weinman, guitar] is like, 'I want to change this guitar part.' And wait a sec, 'The drums aren't like they are on the demo. My lyrics don't line up now!' We're all extremely ADD-ish - producer included, which tends to cause us to make things take forever. Even still, everything is going to come out relatively on time — we're going to make an April or May release, it looks like."

He added: "DILLINGER is a different beast in tracking than most normal bands. Even Steve [Evetts, producer] has told me that there's no other band that he has recorded that requires this amount of attention to detail. We take a longer amount of time to do one thing than most bands take to do ten. At this point, talking to Ben about it, we only do this once every three years on average so ten years from now I don't want to look back and think, 'Fuck man, we should have finished that one three weeks earlier!' Who cares? You want it to be right and you want it to be the thing that was the closest to what your vision actually was."

Regarding the direction of the new THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN material, Puciato said: "I can hear [the influence of old punk and hardcore records] a lot. I can definitely hear that in some of the riffs, which are really aggressive. It's not a blatant hardcore record or anything like that. I actually think this is the most all over the place and weirdest record we've ever written. It's the first one since I joined the band where Ben has sent me songs and I've been like, 'What the fuck is happening? This sounds like a beehive!'"

Season of Mist has inked a deal with Philip H. Anselmo's (DOWN, PANTERA) label Housecore Records. The first Housecore release to hit European stores will be a split EP by PHILIP H. ANSELMO AND THE ILLEGALS and WARBEAST, to be made available on March 15. Entitled "War Of The Gargantuas", this EP includes two songs from each artist, marking the release of Philip Anselmo's first solo work.

"A lot of things can be said about Philip Anselmo, but one thing can't be questioned — his integrity," Season Of Mist CEO Michael Berberian comments. "He's the definition of a true metalhead, and his signings are a reflection of that. We'll be looking forward to working his brand in Europe and giving it the attention it deserves!"

"I am looking forward to working with Season Of Mist in concert with Housecore Records very, very much," Philip states. "Season has a killer roster themselves, and it'll be a pleasure doing the DIY business of propelling underground/extreme music with them. For real, and forever yours truly."

"This split is a glimpse into the future of both my solo project and ultimate thrash metallers WARBEAST," Anselmo stated about "War Of The Gargantuas". “"he title of the split is 'War Of The Gargantuas' and it is fitting on many levels because of our combined love for the '60s Japanese film of the same name, the power of our combined musical output(s) and our humorous affection that plays out within each of our 'gargantuan' personalities. Both WARBEAST and myself have full-length LPs that will be released shortly after this is released, but this split is unique musically. It is a time capsule; a loud pause 'till we both release our full-length products. Enjoy the destruction of music!"

"These two songs we have on 'War Of The Gargantuas' were the next level after [debut album] 'Krush The Enemy'," WARBEAST guitarist Scott Shelby comments. "They've been a staple in our set list for the last two years. These songs are a pure demonstration of our unique Texas thrash metal style."

WARBEAST also recently announced the upcoming release of their second full-length album, "Destroy". The LP is due later this year.

"We Are Legion", the new ThibauIt Chaumont-directed video from the French hardcore/death metal outfit THE BRUTAL DECEIVER, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's debut full-length album, "Go Die. One By One", which is due out this spring via Useless Pride Records.

THE BRUTAL DECEIVER, which features two members of the post-metal band AS WE DRAW, recorded the ten tracks on "Go Die. One By One" last summer with their drummer Amaury Sauvé at La Senelle.

"Go Die. One By One" track listing:

01. Go Die
02. Ghosts' Whispers
03. Disclosed Deception
04. I Am (My Own) Apocalypse
05. Dismember Me
06. IIIII I
07. Loneliness
08. We Are Legion
09. JSTFU
10. Legacy

THE BRUTAL DECEIVER is:

Julien Monard Lacomblez - Guitar
Pierrick Bouilly - Guitar
Quentin Sauvé - Bass
Amaury Sauvé - Drums
Damien Lehay - Vocals

On March 30th the new AVANTASIA-album “The Mystery Of Time“ will be released. If you register for the backstage section, you can now see the new artwork there. It has been hand-painted by world acclaimed British fantasy artist Rodney Matthews. Amongst Rodney's most famous artworks are not only album covers for Rock legends such as Magnum, Thin Lizzy, Asia or Nazareth. He has also designed the characters for the TV-series “Lavender Castle“ and created the covers for novels by British fantasy author Michael Moorcock and many more.Tobias: “It is a great honour for me to have Rodney create the artwork of ‘The Mystery Of Time‘. Since the new album is a conceptual album and its story has a magical and enchanting atmosphere, there was no other painter I could think of to create the artwork. I've had several creative conversations with Rodney during the process and I had the feeling that the concept was inspiring to him right from the start. I put a lot of energy into producing a very detailed and fascinating album, and Rodney had that same enthusiasm to create an artwork just as detailed and fascinating. This is a new chapter in AVANTASIA's history and I think it didn't deserve less than a magical painting by my favorite painter and childhood hero: The one and only Rodney Matthews!“

Switzerland's maniacal grindcore death outfit MUMAKIL has completed the recording of its new LP, now bearing the confirmed title "Flies Will Starve", set for release later in the year via Relapse Records.

Recorded at Terrier 5 Studio in Geneva, the MUMAKIL faction's first album in four years will devastate grinders worldwide with twenty-four brand new tracks of wicked, precision grindcore with even more death metal persuasion than their previous full-length, "Behold The Failure". Fans of BIRDFLESH, MISERY INDEX, ANTIGAMA, KILL THE CLIENT and the like, get ready! Stated the band, upon entering the studio in September: "This will be our best album in terms of production, riff quality, variation and songwriting. It is going to be a great mix between everything we love in grindcore and death-metal with subjects like war, anger, pain, personal experiences and deceptions, and an overall theme about mankind's permanent will to destroy itself."

Following an arsenal of releases since the band's 2004 foundation, "Flies Will Starve" will be MUMAKIL's third full-length and second for Relapse, not including a split with INHUME on the label's cult Slimewave seven-inch series. The album's street date and other new info will be made available in the coming weeks, including tours of Europe, Canada and beyond in support of the album.

In the meantime, Europe is already doomed for a blastbeating this March, as MUMAKIL will rampage across the continent alongside Swedish grind allies AFGRUND for over three weeks.

Eddie Trunk — co-host of the VH1 Classic television program "That Metal Show" who has a long-running radio show, "Friday Night Rocks", on New York's Q104.3 FM — conducted an interview with BLACK SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler for Hartke at this year's NAMM (National Association Of Music Merchants) show, a massive music-products convention that took place January 24-27 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. You can now watch the chat below. A few excerpts from the chat follow.

On the new BLACK SABBATH album:

Geezer: "We've finished recording it. Tony's [Iommi, guitar] back in England putting down a couple of solos. Then we start mixing it in Febraury and it will be out in June.

"The provisional title is '13' — unless we can come up with something more constructive."

On Tony Iommi's health after he was diagnosed with cancer more than a year ago:

Geezer: "He's doing well; he's really responding well. He has to go and have his medication every six weeks. But yeah, he's really coming along well; he's really doing well."

On BLACK SABBATH's touring plans:

Geezer: "We start at the end of April in New Zealand, then we go to Australia, then Japan. June, we'll be promoting the album, then July and August [is] USA. Then October is South America and Europe in November and December."

On how it feels to be back working with Ozzy Osbourne again:

Geezer: "It's great. We just have a lot of laughs and lot of fun."

On whether he has contributed lyrics to the new BLACK SABBATH album, like he has in the past:

Geezer: "Yeah, I've written most of the lyrics. Ozzy comes up with the titles and then gives me an inspiration to write the lyrics. I think we've got 16 songs and I've written 14 sets of lyrics."

On whether Brad Wilk (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE), who plays on the new BLACK SABBATH album, or Tommy Clufetos (OZZY OSBOURNE, ROB ZOMBIE), who played shows with the band last year, will sit behind the kit when BLACK SABBATH hits the road:

Geezer: "We're not sure yet; we don't know. 'Cause I think Brad's got commitments with RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE. So it'll probably be either Tommy or Brad, depending on their commitments."

On his plans to release another solo album:

Geezer: "When I finish this cycle for the SABBATH touring and album and everything else, we'll start work on the next GZR album. There's a lot of material written. It's just getting the time to record it. It'll probably be sometime next year."

Portland heavy music act FALLSTAR has inked a deal with Facedown Records. The band's new album, "Backdraft", will be released on April 16. The CD's first single, "Shallow Believer", features a guest appearance by MEMPHIS MAY FIRE vocalist Matty Mullins. The official lyric video for the track, which was recorded by engineer Kris Crummett (ALESANA, DANCE GAVIN DANCE, SLEEPING WITH SIRENS) at Interlace Audio, can be seen below.

"'Shallow Believer' embodies a call to conscious thought and movement, questioning the established order while diligently seeking truth," says FALLSTAR vocalist Chris Ratzlaff.

FALLSTAR, an unrestrained group of artists and musicians who draw just as much inspiration from their local punk and hardcore scene as they do from their hometown in general. "Our city is known for its global perspective, sustainable living, care for the homeless, and having ideas that challenge long-standing traditions and beliefs," the band says. "So we've developed this way of thinking that is energized by our doubts and ideas. We're a west coast band, we're relaxed and not afraid of new things."

FALLSTAR love the mercurial atmosphere of a live show, and so write true to their genre with sing-alongs and crowd participation. The influences of hardcore and metal are there, but they aren't restrictive. The band spends countless hours layering and composing their songs to achieve the balance they desire. "Our music isn't incredibly technical, so there's lots of room for swinging guitars, jumping off things, chipped teeth and stitches," the band says.

NERVOSA, the all-female thrash metal act from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, entered the studio on January 26 to began recording its debut album for a late 2013 release via Napalm Records. The production, recording, mixing and mastering will be taken care of by Heros Trench and Pompeu, both of the veteran Brazilian metal band KORZUS. The recordings are taking place at the studio Mr. Som, where Nervosa recorded its first EP, entitled "2012", last year.

Comments NERVOSA singer and bassist Fernanda Lira: "We really liked the result we were able to reach with them for our EP and there was no reason that could stop us from keeping such a high-quality work. We are really anxious to record it and, obviously, to show our new songs to the people who keep up with our work!"

Adds NERVOSA guitarist Prika Amaral: "With these new songs, the band will show a more original identity, once it has 100% of participation of Fernanda Lira on the songwriting. The natural maturing will be evident on this CD, which we are more than excited to record and release."

According to a press release, NERVOSA's music "has strong influences from classic old-school thrash metal bands, such as SLAYER, SEPULTURA and EXODUS, perfectly mixed with original and characteristic features inserted in the songs by each of the bandmembers."

NERVOSA is:

Fernanda Lira (ex-HELLARISE) - Bass, Vocals
Prika Amaral (ex-LAMA NEGRA) - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Jully Lee - Drums

Thomas Stanley Orwat Jr. of RockMusicStar.com recently conducted an interview with vocalist Chuck Billy of San Francisco Bay Area metallers TESTAMENT. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

RockMusicStar.com: TESTAMENT is about to hit the road, headlining a major tour, "The Dark Roots Of Thrash" tour. This tour also features thrash metal legends OVERKILL and FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, with a new upcoming thrash band, 4ARM. Do you find this time, leading up to a tour, stressful and exciting? What is your mindset right now?

Chuck: Yeah, I'm a little of both, actually. We have a new show, with new songs that we are going to perform. We had previously played three legs of a tour with ANTHRAX, so we are trying to put in some new songs for this one, do a new show. We also plan on filming a DVD on this tour. We did a couple live DVDs/CDs, and we want to do some songs that are not on those, and to create something new.

RockMusicStar.com: Without giving too much away, how long will your set be and how many new songs will you be performing?

Chuck: Our set will be about an hour and a half, with five songs off of the new record, "Dark Roots Of Earth".

RockMusicStar.com: Who was responsible for putting this tour package together? Did you have any input in the process?

Chuck: Well, our agents out a lot of it together for us. All the bands have a new record, or a new record coming out. I've learned from doing the ANTHRAX and MEGADETH tours that fans and promoters want bands that fit together. So, when we were approached with this tour, we said, "OK" and the promoters thought it was a good package as well.

RockMusicStar.com: As far as the new record, "Dark Roots Of Earth", it has received some great reviews, and his even been referred as the best hard rock/metal record of the year. How gratifying and satisfying was it for you to get all of these accolades at this point in your career?

Chuck: It really was great, especially with all the hard work that we put into the record, and into the writing process. It probably was the first record we wrote, not thinking about what the fans and critics were going to think. Songs such as "Cold Embrace" are in the style of songs that we haven't had on a record for like fifteen years, or so. I think getting the original lineup back together has given us more self confidence. When we started writing the songs, we were really into it, and didn't really think or question what people were going to think. And now with people giving us props for the record, we are glad that we stuck with our instincts, because it really paid off. But, yeah, it's a very gratifying feeling.

Read the entire interview at RockMusicStar.com.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, a Los Angeles judge indicated that he is inclined to dismiss GUNS N' ROSES singer Axl Rose's fraud claim against game publisher Activision Blizzard, Inc. for using a GUNS song in its "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock" video game. At the conclusion of a summary judgment hearing Thursday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charles Palmer took the matter under submission, an attorney involved in the case told the The Hollywood Reporter.

Rose claimed in his $20 million lawsuit that the company's use of the GUNS song "Welcome To The Jungle" in Guitar Hero III violated an agreement the publisher made with him not to use any images of former GUNS guitarist Slash in the game.

The suit, filed in November 2010 in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleged that Activision persuaded Rose to authorize the use of "Jungle" by telling him that the game would not feature any reference or mention of not only Slash, but his post-GUNS band VELVET REVOLVER. According to the suit, "(Activision) began spinning a web of lies and deception to conceal its true intentions to not only feature Slash and VR prominently in GH III but also promote the game by emphasizing and reinforcing an association between Slash and GUNS N' ROSES and the band's song 'Welcome to the Jungle'."

Rose apparently found out that a character resembling Slash would appear in Guitar Hero II and immediately refused to allow "Jungle" to be used, but claims that Activision lied to him and said the image was just being used for marketing purposes. However, the singer became enraged when he got a copy of Guitar Hero III, which featured the Slash character heavily in the game and even on the cover.

Rose also claimed that the GUNS song "Sweet Child O' Mine" was used in an online promotion for Guitar Hero III despite being licensed only for Guitar Hero II.

One of the legal obstacles Axl faces is the fact that "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock" came out in October 2007 but Rose's lawsuit wasn't filed until late November 2010 — more than three years after the singer's agent sent Activision an e-mail objecting. Activision says Rose's lawsuit came after the statute of limitations had expired.

"The reason I did not file a lawsuit [sooner] is because Activision — through my managers and representatives — offered me a separate video game and other business proposals worth millions of dollars to resolve and settle my claims relating to 'GHIII'," the GN'R frontman said in a deposition, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "From December 2007 through November 2010, Activision was offering me a GUNS N' ROSES dedicated video game, a game dedicated to music from the 'Chinese Democracy' album, and other proposals."

No Remorse Records has released an anthology of tracks by LORDIAN GUARD – featuring guitarist/composer William J Tsamis (WARLORD).

The Anthology includes both Lordian Guards albums Lordian Guard and Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God, as well as additional rare and unreleased material, including the demo recordings of Lordian Winds project that followed after the WARLORD disband in the 80s.

Artwork can be seen below:
The track ‘Lost Arch Angel’, off the new album, can be heard below:
To order the album visit this location.

Classic rockers GREAT WHITE — Mark Kendall (lead guitar), Scott Snyder (bass), Audie Desbrow (drums), Michael Lardie (guitar, keyboards) and Terry Ilous — performed an acoustic version of the song "Hard To Say Goodbye" this morning (Thursday, January 31) on "Good Morning San Diego" on KUSI-TV, an independent television station in San Diego, California. You can now watch video footage of their appearance below.

GREAT WHITE will film a video for the song "Heart Of A Man" this Friday night, February 1 at Sycuan Casino in El Cajon, California. Also appearing on the bill at the show is SLAUGHTER.

Says GREAT WHITE: "Friday night we will be shooting a live video of the song 'Heart Of A Man' ... If you wish to be in it, just come close to the stage and dress your best."

"Heart Of A Man" comes off GREAT WHITE's latest album, "Elation", which sold around 1,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release. Issued on May 22 via Frontiers Records, the 12-song CD marks GREAT WHITE's first effort with Ilous following the band's split with founding singer Jack Russell.

This version of GREAT WHITE is not to be confused with GREAT WHITE FEATURING JACK RUSSELL (formerly JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE), which features Russell alongside Robby Lochner (FIGHT) on guitar, Matthew Johnson (DOCTOR M, JACK RUSSELL) on guitar, Dario Seixas (FIREHOUSE, STEPHEN PEARCY) on bass and Derrick Pontier (GREAT WHITE, SAMANTHA 7) on drums.

GREAT WHITE will release a live album, "30 Years - Live From The Sunset Strip", on February 22 in Europe and February 26 in North America via Frontiers Records.

To mark its 30th anniversary live on March 22, 2012, GREAT WHITE celebrated the only logical way — on stage. In a nod to its early days, GREAT WHITE returned to the infamous Sunset Strip, where a storied past of music's biggest fans are fused into the walls of the Key Club. GREAT WHITE delivered its entire repertoire to a packed house, pining for the band's raw energy and cheering its illustrious history track after track.

Portuguese thrash metallers SWITCHTENSE have released a video clip from their upcoming live DVD entitled Switchtense – 10 Unbreakable Years which will be released on February 11 via Rastilho Records. Check out 'Face Off' below:
The live DVD celebrates the band’s tenth anniversary and includes their entire performance at Moita Metal Fest on March 30th 2012. The release will also contain an audio CD featuring three new songs and one re-recorded song (from the 2006 EP Brainwash Show), which were recorded at Ultrasound Studios and mixed by the band’s producer Daniel Cardoso (ANATHEMA, ANGELUS APARTIDA)
Switchtense – 10 Unbreakable Years tracklisting can be seen below:
‘Concrete Walls’
‘Face Off’
‘Into The Words Of Chaos’
‘Unbreakable’
‘I Will Stand Stronger’
‘Blood Of Victory’
‘State Of Resignation’
‘The Legacy Of Hate’
‘Let Them Die Alone’
‘Infected Blood’
‘This Is Only The Beginning’
‘The Right Track’ *
‘Ghosts Of Past’ *
‘We Will Always Be The Same’ *
‘Blood Of Victory’ *

*available on audio CD

The video for the track ‘The Right Track’ can be seen below:

Former and present members of Boston-based metallers WIDOW SUNDAY have launched a new band called I INVENT, that will be releasing their debut EP in early summer. Check out two teasers below:
i invent is:
Jesse Heimowitz - vocals (FOOTAGE OF A YETO)
Sean Duffy - guitar / programming (Widow Sunday)
Kyle Jarvenpaa - guitar (ANOMIA/Widow Sunday)
Phil Anderson - bass (BATTLESHIPS)
Darin Moyen - drums (Widow Sunday)
For more details visit Facebook
.